It takes focus and dedication to turn an average soccer player into a great one. But some players are naturally blessed with an extra helping of athleticism and are able to excel not just in soccer, but also in a different sport. Take for instance former Chelsea and Arsenal player Peter Cech, who made his debut as a professional ice hockey player in 2023. In an interview with Belfast Live, Cech said that he used to play ice hockey as a child. “When you are playing professional football you don’t really have time to do that, but I would skate and do goalie practice as part of my football preparation,” the 41-year-old athlete reveals. “It is great to put this jersey on again and get back on the ice.”
Apart from Cech, other professional soccer players have also made their mark in different sports. This proves that anyone who’s athletically gifted, determined, and willing to try new things can be successful in multiple arenas. Here’s a rundown of some of the top soccer players who excelled in other sports.
Tony Meola- Baseball
The stories behind legendary baseball players such as Bo Jackson proves that playing professional American football and baseball is quite common in some of the top athletes in the world. Think about Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl champion who also had an amazing baseball career. There’s also Kyler Murray, who excelled in both sports and was one of the top prospects for the 2018 Major League Baseball draft before eventually choosing to go with the NFL in 2019.
Although the soccer-to-baseball career path and vice versa isn’t as common as football-to-baseball, one soccer player almost made it to the MLB before signing with the US Soccer Federation. Tony Meola, who was the keeper of choice for the USA team in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup, was named an All-State baseball player in 1987. Meola did so well that the New York Yankees drafted him straight out of high school, but he did not sign with the team. Instead, the athlete attended the University of Virginia on a soccer and baseball scholarship before playing in the MLS in 1990.
Nowadays, the retired athlete works as a radio host on SiriusXM FC’s “Counter Attack” show. While talking about his years as an athlete, Meola said that players had a more difficult time then and that they had to fight for everything that they had. “But I wouldn’t trade any of the moments we had for anything, because I think all of them, all of those things helped me personally develop as a player,” he adds.
Bixente Lizarazu- Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Imagine being an International Cup winner, a European Champion, and a World Cup Winner. That’s what Bixente Lizarazu achieved during his time as a soccer player for the French national team. Lizarazu played for some of the most prestigious teams including Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, and the player was so in demand that even Manchester United tried to get him to sign a contract with them. The athlete retired in 2006, but instead of taking it easy, he decided to take up martial arts and ended up becoming the 2009 European Champion, this time in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Today, he continues to train and teach the martial art, and he has also taken up surfing, scuba diving, and cycling. Back in 2017, Lizarazu said that he can’t imagine not being an athlete. “For me it’s impossible to stop doing sport,” he said. “I’d like to be an athlete until the last moment.”
Gareth Bale- Golf
From kicking a ball across the pitch to making birdies on the course, Gareth Bale has successfully made the transition from one green field to another as the former Tottenham and Real Madrid star is now playing professional golf. Bale retired from professional soccer after the 2022 World Cup, and today, he’s competing at elite tournaments such as the PGA Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. In a recent interview, Bale said that he used golf to deal with the challenges that come with being a soccer player. “It helped me a lot to overcome those pressures,” he said. “I used golf as a tool to help my career to be honest.”
Some of the best soccer players in the world have proven that it’s possible to be good at more than just one sport. Though they may have retired from soccer, they continue to excel in new fields, and have become icons and a source of inspiration for many young players all over the world.